Sweet Shoppe Designs – The Sweetest Digital Scrapbooking Site on the Web

Brook discusses Freestyle Scrapping and gives us LOTS of inspiration!

There are many ways to go about creating a digital scrapbook page. Today, I’m going to introduce a method loosely referred to as “freestyle.” In a nutshell, it’s starting a layout from nothing but an idea . . .  without an actual guide or set of rules (no template, sketch, or page to lift). Scrapping freestyle means you let your photos, imagination, and the contents of your stash of supplies inspire your page design.

Anyone recognize this?

Ah, yes. The dreaded blank 12×12 canvas staring back at you from the computer screen. This is a common hurdle if you’re not used to scrapping this way. Freestyle scrapping starts with that! And, ta-da! It ends with this!

Or this:

Or even this:

So, what IS freestyle? What are the pros & cons? Here are a few thoughts about this style of scrapbooking:

• Because the inspiration comes solely from you, your page is 100% a unique creation. As Julia says: “I find it’s the best way to be completely ‘me’ in what I do.” And Jenn Barrette: ” I like that the page is ‘me’ when it is done, not just my version of someone else’s style.”
• Often, your page turns out completely different than you planned or expected. Some people think this is the fun part while others might be more likely to delete the page all-together. Mari says: “It requires a lot more creativity and sometimes they do not turn out what you pictured in your head.” and Rachel says: “I’m . . . more likely to have to delete everything and start over when I scrap freestyle.” Sherly agrees: “Sometimes, it ends up ugly and I have to start new.”
• If you find templates difficult to use, scrapping freestyle may help you get your pages scrapped quicker. Rachel says: “Sometimes it’s nice to scrap simpler pages without being influenced by someone else’s vision to keep adding more.” Heather agrees: “They take me less time to create than layouts with a template, sketch, or scraplift.”
• On the other hand, sometimes the lack of rules or restraint makes completing a page take longer. On the forum, Jennifer explains that one of the cons of this style is . . . “too much choice, I have a tough enough choice deciding what supplies to use.”
• It’s a highly creative process. There is more decision making involved about layout, design, and the style of the page. If you are a very creative person, this might be a more gratifying way to scrap your pages. Jenn sees this as a positive: “I like being more creative with paper pieces and element placements.” But, if you’re in a creative rut you might want to start with some more concrete inspiration. Especially if, like Angie, “. . . you just stare and stare at a blank page and get nothing!” In that case, listen to Sherly: “I use templates when I’m stuck in a rut.”
• Freestyle pages don’t all look the same. They can be simple, busy, messy, artsy, or geometric. There’s not one single style which defines this way of scrapping. It all depends on how you create. However, more often than not, Art Journaling scrapbook pages are usually created freestyle.
• Although not everyone agrees, you might say your freestyle pages are your favorites. Gabbygirl says: “I tend to be a little more proud of myself with my freestyle pages b/c every single detail on the page came from me, its pretty gratifying.” And Jenn Barrette says: “I don’t think they really mean more, but they do usually end up my favorite pages.”

Here are a few more pages scrapped freestyle. Notice they are all very different & unique:

So, are you interested in this style of scrapbooking? If you’ve never tried scrapping this way, why not give it a try? It is July, after all! Be FREE!!! 🙂

Don’t worry about that scary blank canvas we saw at the beginning of this article. Most of the ladies I asked said they really enjoy scrapping free. There are quite a few scrapbookers who even prefer starting their pages with a blank canvas. The quickest way to make the white go away is to START SOMETHING. 🙂 You choose what to start with: shapes, photos, embellishments, paint, papers . . . the list goes on. Personally, this is my favorite way to scrap a page. I either build a template of my own by drawing shapes, or I just start with a cropped photo and work around it. Sometimes certain embellishments in a kit become the foundation of the page. It’s fun to let loose and create something without fully knowing what the outcome will be. So, if you’ve never done it or it’s been a while since you have, start with a blank canvas next time. You never know, you might just discover a whole new side of your creativity you never even knew you had.

Want more? Check out more thoughts about freestyle scrapping and more page examples in this thread in the Sweet Shoppe Forum. You can read more opinions from the ladies I quoted above and join in the conversation by sharing your own thoughts.

All the Best,

Brook